Steven Sinofsky, the amazingly competent dude at the helm of Windows 7 software development, has just been named president of the whole Windows division. He basically assumes the managerial duties of Bill Veghte, who was overseeing the business side.

Having met Sinofsky on a number of occasions, I can say that it makes total sense. He's sharp, and now that he doesn't need to focus all his managerial efforts on meeting development deadlines, it's time to put the rest of his brain to use in getting the product into distribution. My sense is, given the man's focus and drive, he was probably already making most of the key logistical decisions already.

Today at CES, I met with Steven Sinofsky, Windows 7 development chief, and asked about the…
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It's weird that Veghte is being bumped at a time when sales messaging for Windows 7 is so vital. The task of marketing Windows 7 will be taken over by Tami Reller, current CFO of the Windows division, who will report to Sinofsky. Veghte's a really nice guy, and I was under the impression that some people thought he could be the next Ballmer, so I'm not too worried for him. However, it sounds like a demotion. All Microsoft says is that Veghte "will be moving to a new leadership role in the company to be announced later this year." Let's just hope it's not leader of sanitation and food services. [Microsoft]